Indonesian military helicopter with 12 on board goes missing

An Indonesian military helicopter carrying 12 peoplewent missing on Friday over rebellious Papua province. The Russian-made Mil Mi-17 was supposed to land at Sentani airport at1 pm (0400 GMT) but lost contact a few minutes after take-off fromOksibil in the mountainous Pegunungan Bintang district, localmilitary spokesman Muhammad Aidi said.  A search is under way for the helicopter, Aidi said.Papua, a mainly Melanesian region rich in resources, has been thescene of a low-level separatist insurgency for decades. Security forces intensified anti-insurgency operations in Papuaafter rebels killed 19 workers building a highway and one soldier inNduga district in early December.